Essential information - about the call for applications - CIRCLET project
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Essential information
about the call for applications
What is Community Engaged Research and Learning (CERL)?
Community Engaged Research and Learning (CERL) is an innovative approach which gives students the
opportunity to participate in research and learning projects based on community ideas and questions, through the
curriculum. CERL has been identified as a high-impact learning and teaching activity that research suggests
increases student engagement and student retention. There is lots of good practice in CERL already in TU Dublin.
The term CERL captures a wide range of different terms for community engaged research and learning. CERL can
be taken to include community-based learning, service-learning, community service learning, community-based
research, participatory action research, community-based participatory research, and science shop projects.
What is the CIRCLET project?
CIRCLET is the acronym for Curriculum Innovation through Research with Communities: Learning circles of
Educators and Technology. This Erasmus+ project aims to strengthen the capacity of higher education, especially
lecturers, to improve learning outcomes for students by rethinking curricula to incorporate CERL, enhanced by
educational technology.
What is an International Learning Circle?
Learning circles involve people coming together to share and reflect on learning and experience as they address a
particular issue – in this case how to rethink courses/modules to include CERL projects, enhanced by educational
technology (online tools and strategies for collaboration and learning). The international learning circle will include
lecturers involved in the module and the learning circle in the participating universities across Europe who come to-
gether online to share their experiences, ideas and questions, to learn together, in a structured way.
The exact format of the international learning circle will be shaped in collaboration with participants, and will draw on
the learning from the local learning circles (for example the 2020-1 international learning circle involved a ‘practice’
track and a ‘research’ track). Potential outcomes of international learning circles are: international publications by
members about their process for rethinking courses to incorporate CERL; sharing and/or developing examples of
CERL.
Do I need to be experienced in reflection?
Not formally, as we will provide templates, supports etc. We are looking for people who already have some self-
awareness and who look to learn from their experiences.
Do I need to be experienced in CERL/technology/module revision/design?
No – we will recruit participants with a mix of experience so you can learn from your peers as well as from the
resources and facilitators. We will also bring in expertise from relevant colleagues at institutional level, as well as
community partners.
Where will I find community partner(s) for a CERL project?
The TU Dublin CIRCLET co-ordinating team (the staff of the Programme for Students Learning With Communities)
will help you with this. We have ongoing relationships with a wide range of community partners, and ideas on file
from them for projects with students across disciplines.What criteria will be used to assess the applications? Interest in: CERL; revising modules/courses; and educational technology Potential to develop and sustain a CERL project in a course/module Clear personal goals for the online module/Learning Circle Awareness of strengths and potential challenges Support from Head of School/Department For more detail see table in appendix 2, on the final page. Why are you asking for the support/consent of Head of Programme/Institute/School? We feel that making your manager aware of your application and interest in this area, and asking them about how they can commit to supporting you, will bolster you on your journey of implementing CERL projects. Can I withdraw? If at all possible, we would ask that once you have confirmed the offer of a place, you honour that commitment. As this is a competitive process, if you withdraw it means you have taken a place that someone else might have used to the full. What happens if something goes wrong? Please contact the TU Dublin CIRCLET co-ordinating team as soon as possible, so we can work with you to provide support. Has this initiative run before in TU Dublin? Where can I find more information about it? TU Dublin’s first local Learning Circle and online CPD module ran in 2020/2021 as part of the CIRCLET project. This academic year the Learning Circle was run entirely online as a result of the pandemic. You can find out more about this at www.circlet.eu. I still have questions, what do I do? Visit our live drop-in question and answer sessions online: Online Module Q&A sessions drop-in: Monday 19 April 10.30am-11.30pm (Irish time) (Click here to join) and Tues- day 4th of May 12.30-1.30 pm (Click here to join) Learning Circle Q&A sessions (drop-in): Tuesday 20th April 12.30-1.30pm (Click here to join) and Tuesday 4th May 2.30-3.30pm (Click here to join) If you need a more detailed comparison to help you decide between the learning circle and the online module, please see the table below. You can also email the TU Dublin coordination team at slwc@tudublin.ie
Appendix 1: More detail on the differences between the Learning Circle and the Online Module
Learning Circle Online Module
Description Regular scheduled meetings (in person Weekly webinars with regular small
and/or online), supplemented with assessments, individual and group
independent and small group learning, work, alongside local and international
in collaboration with local peers. Partic- peers. These lead to a final reflection
ipants interested in collaborating with and detailed proposal for a CERL pro-
international peers can join the Interna- ject within a module.
tional Learning Circle too.
Timing? Full academic year 2021/2022 Semester 1, Autumn 2021, with final
assignment due early January 2022.
Planning and Semester 1 involves planning your The module focuses on planning for
delivering CERL project on the course/module, CERL project delivery. One of the
your CERL and semester 2 focuses on delivering it module requirements is that participants
with your community partner. must agree and sign a project timeline
project Peer and coordinator support for your agreement form with a community
CERL project in both semesters in partner, to run a CERL project in the
various forms and using various following 12 months. Participants can
communication media. choose to join the International Learning
Circle in semester 2 to support their
CERL project delivery.
Number of Max. 10 in each local Learning Circle, Maximum 20
participants max. 50 across all project partners
Facilitators Guest inputs from both university staff Experienced CERL staff will facilitate
and and experienced community partners. discussions in webinars, these will
contributors Experienced CERL coordination staff include presentations from participants,
involved? will facilitate the process of collabora- and guest inputs from experienced
tion and peer learning. CERL stakeholders.
International Local learning circles will be connected Participants and facilitators from several
dimension internationally, offering collaboration European universities. Small group work
opportunities for interested partici- will involve a mix of partners from differ-
pants, where possible clustered around ent universities to allow participants to
common interests. meet as many peers as possible.
What The TU Dublin local CIRCLET co- Weekly webinars from TU Dublin, with
supports will ordinating team will support the technical support. A wide range of
I receive? Learning Circle participants in a variety online resources. A designated drop-in
of ways, from facilitating sessions to weekly online ‘office hour’ for asking
providing resources and feedback, as questions. Weekly feedback from peers
well as co-ordinating small group micro and/or module facilitators. Online dis-
-learning circles, and one-to-one meet- cussion boards for questions and an-
ings with participants to support their swers.
CERL projects. In TU Dublin, at least one meeting of the
Participants who choose to take part in local participants in the online module
the international learning circle will also will be facilitated, to build the local sup-
receive appropriate supports. port network.
What will I be Plan your reimagined course/module Weekly reading/viewing of resources
expected to by the end of the first semester to in- and regular assignment submissions, -
do? clude CERL and Technology- including reflection on learning, and
enhanced learning.
Active reflection on the process. group work assignments. These will re-
Deliver a course/module with a CERL quire 4-5 hours per week. Co-design
project responding to a research with a community partner the CERL pro-
question from a community partner. ject you will complete together within the
next year and submit a co-signed time-
line agreement form. Final assignment
(30-40 hours’ work across the semester
into early January).Learning Circle Online Module
What option- Participation in the International There will be some choices within
al elements Learning Circle is optional. assignments given, but all assignments
are there? are compulsory and must be passed in
order to successfully complete the mod-
ule.
What do I Certificate of participation. Certificate from TU Dublin confirming
receive at your 5 ECTS (subject to successful
the end? completion of all assignments).
Do I need Access to your own virtual learning Recommended browsers for Bright-
particular environment (e.g. Moodle, Bright- space (TU DUBLIN VLE): Chrome, Fire-
technical space, Canvas), and to online meeting fox, Safari. Internet Explorer is not suita-
skills and/or tools commonly used in TU Dublin ble - (see Video 1 - Getting started in
access to (e.g. MS Teams). Brightspace as a student).
hardware/
software?
How much No more than 20 hours contact time 9 weekly lunchtime webinars, with
time will I and around 5-8 hours independent regular small individual and group
need to com- learning across 2 semesters. assignments, requiring 4-5 hours per
mit? week. Final assignments requiring 30-40
International learning circles will hours across the semester. 100 learning
involve additional time. hours (inclusive of webinars) are re-
quired for 5 ECTS.
Do I have to Yes, where possible, in semester 1. In Each participant must attend 9 webinars
attend every semester 2 the sessions will address over 11 weeks.
session? particular topics, so you will have the Two of the nine webinars will be
option of attending some but not oth- repeated in different weeks, so
ers. participants can choose the most con-
venient date to attend.
Are the ses- Semester 1 sessions will be from Fridays from 1-2pm Irish/UK time, 2-
sion times 10am—1pm as follows: 3pm Central European Time.
set? Friday 10 September, Thursday 28
October and Thursday 16 December.
Semester 2 will involve a mix of shorter
-full group and drop-in sessions. These
will be scheduled in collaboration with
participants. Participants will choose
three or four semester 2 sessions to
attend.Appendix 2: Rubric for evaluating applications.
Not yet at level required At level required Above level required
Clear personal goals for No clear goals Clear goals, related to Very clear goals, very
the module/Learning module/learning circle closely related to mod-
Circle ule/learning circle
Awareness of strengths Little or no articulation Clear articulation of Very clear articulation of
and potential challeng- of strengths and poten- strengths and potential strengths and potential
es. tial challenges. challenges, related to challenges, very closely
module/learning circle related to module/
learning circle
Potential to develop and Does not teach and as- Teaches and assesses at Teaches and assesses at
sustain a CERL project in sess a suitable module least one suitable mod- least one suitable
a module (you should ule. module with clear po-
teach and assess the tential for sustainability
module)
Interest in CERL Interest not clearly ex- Quite Interested Very interested
pressed
Interest in educational Interest not clearly ex- Quite Interested Very interested
technology pressed
Interest in revising mod- Interest not clearly ex- Quite Interested Very interested
ules pressed
Support from Head of Not complete Support expressed, no Support expressed and
School/Department clarity re tangible form tangible measures
described
*Note we will select participants for maximum diversity (gender, level of teaching experience, subject(s)/
discipline(s) taught, level of experience (CERL, technology, developing courses/modules), university (CPD
module only)).
*We also need to recruit a minimum number of participants with a level of interest in the transnational
learning circle, as it is a requirement of our funding.
*To maximise sustainability, we may prioritise: programme coordinators; module coordinators; course
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